Straight From the Heart
by davis-baker
Summary: She had been staring intently at the same picture for a good few minutes. She figured that if she held her gaze constant, maybe the glassy frame would soon reflect her own picture. She would be one of the smiling faces out of three in it. AU BL CH.4!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - I know I shouldn't be making a new story, 'cause I have my other two that I haven't updated in weeks, but this idea has been in my mind for a long time. And I've been thinking about it a lot lately. So I figured I'd give it a go. I'm not sure how good it is; that's up to you guys! **

**So if you'd like me to continue, you know what to do! Thanks!**

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Straight From the Heart

Chapter 1 -

She had been staring intently at the same picture for a good few minutes. She figured that if she held her gaze constant, maybe the glassy frame would soon reflect her own picture. She would be one of the smiling faces out of three in the picture. The other two would be her daughter, and then a man in her life that made her as happy as the actual man in the photo made the actual woman. It wouldn't matter if he was the father of the little girl; just as long as he played the father figure and cared and loved her. But as she blinked her eyes, she gave up and sighed, sinking back down into the kitchen chair.

"Brooke, are you okay?" Brooke tore her eyes away from their previous position to focus on her best friend. She'd almost forgotten they had been in the middle of a discussion.

"Huh, what?" Brooke mumbled, then shrugged. "I'm sorry, Hales. I've just got a lot on my mind." She glanced quickly back at the photograph in its respected frame and all she saw was perfection. "New family portrait?" She asked her best friend.

"Yeah." Haley nodded, still unsure if her friend was really okay. "We took it a few weeks ago."

"It's beautiful." She offered a small smile and could feel a hint of jealously rise inside herself.

In Brooke's eyes, Haley had the perfect family. It consisted of her, her husband Nathan, and their little boy Jamie.

Haley and Nathan were amazing parents to Jamie, and all it did was make Brooke feel like she wasn't as amazing of a mother to her own child; her daughter. It just never felt like enough to her. Besides having to earn all their family's income by herself, cook and clean by herself, transport her daughter everywhere she pleased by herself, she also had to provide enough love for her daughter so that she never felt like her father didn't love her. Brooke would have to always remind her daughter that her daddy did love her. They were just different than most families.

But the truth was, Brooke hadn't even spoken to her daughter's father since he left; and that was over five years ago, nearly six.

For Brooke to say being a single mother didn't wear her out would be a lie. Because by the end of the day, she was utterly exhausted.

"Is there something going on, Brooke? 'Cause you know Nathan and I are always here if you ever need anything."

Brooke looked at Haley and nodded. She felt her eyes tear and she realized she couldn't lie to her friend. Haley could read her like a book; she could see right through her and could instantly know whether she was okay or not, and whether she was lying or telling the truth. And she could tell that right now, Brooke was not okay, and wasn't telling the truth either.

"I'm fine...It's just...Madison asked me about her father again." Haley's face fell and Brooke continued. "I'm okay...it's just...it always takes a lot out of me when I have to explain to her why Jamie has a daddy and she doesn't."

"Brooke..." Haley truly did not know what to say. It always killed her when Brooke told her stories like these.

"I just wish there was something I could do for her...to make her happier. She doesn't understand it fully and I know she probably thinks it's my fault, and I don't blame her."

"Don't say that." Haley shook her head. "She just doesn't get it, but she will someday. It's not your fault that he left you when you were pregnant with her, and someday, when Maddie's older, she'll get that. Don't ever blame yourself for something that's not in your control. I promise you, it'll be fine."

"Okay." Brooke found Haley's words comforting. "Thanks. You're right...I've just been stressed lately."

"About what?"

"My mother...oh wait, not my mother, I forgot. She's making me call her Victoria now."

"Oh god." Haley sighed and then bit back a laugh. "You've got some problems, Brooke Davis. Let me tell you."

Brooke smiled before replying. "Oh do I know it."

"What's it this time?"

"Well, Victoria, or Bitchtoria depending on what day of the week it is, is demanding that I have five new designs done by the end of the week. Like she can't see that I have a life and a daughter to take care of—or maybe she just doesn't want to take any notice." Brooke shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"Why do you put up with her, Brooke? You can do so much better by yourself."

"Well she owns the company so..." She trailed off. "Anyway, enough about my life, what's going on with you guys? Everything good?"

"Yeah, yeah. Well except for the fact that my genius husband agreed to let his brother stay in our house for god knows how long."

"Huh? I'm lost here, Hales. Please fill me in."

"You know Lucas, right? You met him at, like, James' first birthday or something..."

"Blonde hair, blue eyes? Looks like him and you could've had a wild night and Jamie came as a result from that?" She smirked.

"I'm gonna pretend you never said that and yes." Haley rolled her eyes. "Anyway, he lives in Charlotte but because of some personal problems, he needed to get out of town, hence why he'll be staying here. Nathan, without even consulting me, agreed to let him stay. So he arrives tomorrow."

"But if you guys haven't spoken to him in a while, why would Nathan agree?"

"I don't know." Haley shrugged. "I think he feels bad because they lost touch. And besides, his life seems really messy right now, he probably sounded desperate on the phone. Anyway, Jamie's excited to see him."

"Speaking of which. Our two monsters have been surprisingly quiet. Should I go check on them?"

"Mama!" A loud shrill came from upstairs and was then accompanied by two pairs of feet running down the stairs.

"Spoke to soon?"

"Jamie, what's with the screaming?" Haley asked her son once he and Madison reached their parents.

"Maddie kissed me again!" He replied with a disgusted look on his face while Madison stood next to him and giggled.

"One day you won't be complaining, buddy." Brooke joked.

"Brooke! Don't teach my baby things like that." Haley shook her head at Brooke.

"What does that mean, Aunt Brooke?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Nothing, sweetie. Maddie say you're sorry to Jamie."

"But I'm not sorry, Mama."

"Oh, she is your daughter, Brooke Davis."

"Hey! I resent that!" Brooke playfully hit Haley when her phone rang. "Excuse me." She said, pulling out her phone.

"Hello." She answered and rolled her eyes. She turned towards Haley and mouthed 'Bitchtoria'. "Okay, Victoria. I'm on my way." Brooke sighed as she closed her phone. "Haley, I'm really sorry, but I have to go to the office-"

"I can watch Maddie. It's fine, go."

"Thanks so much. Okay, Madison, I just have to go into work for a few hours and then I'm gonna come and get you."

"Okay, mama." Madison nodded and walked over to Brooke to give her a hug.

"Baby, just try not to kiss Jamie again." Brooke warned her and all four of them laughed.

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Brooke sighed as she checked the time. It was already much later than she thought she'd be getting out.

She heard stilettos click against the marble floor and cursed under her breath.

"Brooke, what do you think you're doing just sitting there?" Victoria darted her eyes at Brooke and gave her a disapproving look. "We have a deadline to finish by...you know."

"I'm sorry, Victoria." Brooke mumbled. She found it so pathetic that her own mother was forcing her to call her by her first name.

"Don't let it happen again."

"Look, Victoria. I have to get home– my daughter is there waiting. If you haven't forgotten about her."

"If you're implying that I'm a grandmother..." Victoria began with a shake of her head. "Please don't. I'm too young to be a grandmother. But you can tell little Madison that Victoria said hi...Now back to work, dear."

Her stilettos clicked once again and then she was gone. Brooke let out a breath before dialing a number on her cell phone.

Haley answered, like she expected, and Brooke gave her her sincere apologies. Haley told her not to worry about it and that Madison could just sleep over; it was no big deal. She'd see them in the morning.

But to Brooke, it was a big deal. She was letting her mother control her life. And when she wasn't under her mother's rule and was at home, she was constantly running around for Madison. She was having no time for herself, and as a result, she was losing who she truly was.

She moved the sketches and pencils out of the way and placed her head on the desk. Why was it that life came so easily to some people, almost like it was natural, but for Brooke, she was struggling to keep up?

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It was a good thing Haley had suggested that Madison just sleep over at the Scott house, because otherwise, Brooke would be picking her daughter up at almost two in the morning.

She didn't know why she was listening to Victoria. She had been for the past five years, so she guessed it just stuck. It was a routine. A bad habit that just couldn't be broken.

It was also stable, though. It provided Brooke with money for herself and her daughter. And though Victoria was harsh and cold, she would never have it in her to leave Brooke out in the world by herself, so Brooke knew that the job was very stable.

But what she was unsure of was whether it was worth sleepless nights spent in the office, and missing out on time with Madison.

Upon entering her house, she decided she would try to salvage whatever was left of the night and sleep because she was exhausted.

She dropped her keys on a side table and smiled as she looked at an old picture of her and Madison. It was taken the day Madison had learned to take her first steps. She had been so proud of her and it was that day she realized that being a mother definitely had its moments.

Brooke placed the picture back down. Thinking about moments like those made her realize that Madison didn't need a father in her life to be happy. Brooke was just fine raising her daughter by herself.

And Brooke realized life wasn't that bad. It could be tough; but all the happy moments made up for it all.

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**A/N - I know there was absolutely no BL whatsoever in this first chapter, but that's coming up next! I also realize there wasn't much here in terms of what's going on, or maybe that's just me. But I really just wanted to introduce what Brooke's dealing with. It's just she and her daughter, and her mom's controlling her, and she feels really conflicted and blames herself for a lot of things. Well, that's what I hope you got out of the chapter. I tried to bring that across the best that I could. **

**Also, I wanna mention that I have not given up on my other stories, especially 'Searching For What We Lost'. That's way too close to the final chapter for me to give up on. I've just really been stuck in terms of where to go from there. But I'm trying. Also, with the total lack of BL on the show right now, it really isn't helping with inspiration. But I'm not gonna go into what I feel about that 'cause I'll be here typing all day. It's bad, I'll tell you that. Having LP shoved down your throat isn't nice. **

**Before this gets to be too long (which I feel it already is), let me know what you thought of this and if you want me to continue. I'm off from school today and tomorrow, so depending on whether you like it, I could update soon!**

**Thanks! :)**

–**Melissa**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - So I decided I'd post another chapter, even if I just posted this yesterday. **

**There weren't as many reviews as I hoped for, so hopefully that'll change as the story goes on. **

**Thanks: **rosseyanna, tanya2byour21, othfan326, **and **xo Pretty Girl ox. **Your reviews were great! Thank you! :)**

**Hopefully I'll get more reviews for this chapter! (Please :D )**

**Enjoy!**

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Straight From the Heart

Chapter 2 -

Brooke had been falling. Falling in love. And it really surprised her because she was more of an independent type of girl. She felt she didn't need a man in her life to make her feel complete. Everything she needed and wanted to do could easily be done by herself. But what was so strange was that she had found herself sometimes just staring off into space, dazed. She was in love. And it was scary. The whole thought of having to rely on someone, having to have that person on her mind 24/7, even having to hear or say those three little words scared the hell out of her. But it was also the most superior feeling she'd ever felt in her life, and if she had to feel all those other things to feel what love truly was, she figured it was worth it.

He was a great guy, too. Very caring and sensitive, and it seemed like he was heading for a bright future. Brooke was almost sure that was the guy she was meant to spend forever with. That was her man.

But when the first wave of nausea hit, she started having her doubts. He was scared. She was scared. But he was making things worse. He was the ultimate pessimist and was automatically jumping to negative conclusions. She hadn't even taken the test yet and he was already listing all the 'what ifs'. He had even went as far as finding numbers to both an adoption agency and abortion clinic. He thought he was being kind to let her choose which route she'd take.

But Brooke tried to wave it off...because he was starting to scare her. She'd never seen that side of him before, and she was pretty sure that now that she had, she never wanted to see it again. She told him it was nothing. She was probably just really stressed out. He didn't care to listen, though. He was only focusing on what would happen if he couldn't finish up school. So he drove the two of them to a drug store, made her go in by herself to buy a test, and then drove back to his place.

Less than ten minutes after that, she knew it was over.

All Brooke's thoughts about love and how great it was, that all disappeared. Because all love did was cause heartbreak. What was the point of all those pre-love feelings if what you got with post-love was just heartbreak?

He told her he was sorry, but there was just no way it could work. He was meant to do great things with his life and a baby at such a young age would definitely strain that. He told Brooke that he just couldn't be that man that gave up all his dreams and aspirations to help raise a baby. He wouldn't be that man.

And then he left her.

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It didn't take long for Brooke to realize that getting some sleep after spending hours in the office would be hard. Because after spending time with Victoria, Brooke was always left to question herself on whether she was doing what was best.

Her mother was a cold, harsh, mean person. There was no denying that. But why was Brooke sticking around to be treated like trash? Her mother was an evil, conniving bitch, and Brooke knew that if Victoria even suspected that Brooke was thinking about pulling out, Victoria would take action almost immediately.

She'd probably use the 'Madison card' before anything else. It was something she used on Brooke once to guilt her back in when Brooke was having her first doubts.

"_Brooke, look at me." Victoria told her daughter with a cold demeanor. _

_Brooke didn't even know how her mother had gotten into her house, and yet the two were standing face to face. Brooke knew it was a bad idea to tell her that she was thinking about pulling out of the business._

"_Do you see what you have?" She gestured her arms out to emphasize the nicely-sized house. "All of this wouldn't be possible without me. So if you were to pull out, all of this, it would all disappear. Do you want that?"_

"_Mother-"_

"_Think_ _about Madison." Brooke stiffened upon the mention of her daughter's name. Of course her mother knew what strings to pull to draw her back in._ _"Do you want to have to live out on the streets with your baby? I think not, dear. Think about all the things you are providing for your daughter, and by making a simple, stupid decision all of that can go down the drain."_

_Brooke closed her eyes and tried to ignore her mother's distinctive voice. Victoria wasn't going to stop until she was positive that her daughter was staying with her. _

"_Do you remember when you were pregnant? How lost you were? You begged me to help you." _

"_What's your point in all this, mother?" Brooke rolled her eyes. _

"_Do you want that again, Brooke? That feeling of uncertainty? Except now, you'll have double that feeling because of your daughter. Do you want to have to worry about how you're going to get money to feed your child? Do you want her to have to grow up in an unstable lifestyle like that?"_

"_No." She shook her head; her mother was getting to her, and soon the score would be in favor of Victoria._

"_That's what I thought." Victoria replied, and Brooke could've sworn she saw a hint of a smile appear on her mother's face. "So I'll see you at work in the morning." _

It had been a constant battle in Brooke's mind for years already. And every time she came close to speaking up, Victoria would get her word in first.

Haley and Nathan told her that she shouldn't have to put up with that. If Victoria really cared about her, like any mother to their child would, she would only want what's best for Brooke; what made her the happiest. But Brooke would always tell them that Victoria wasn't like every other mother in the world. She was Victoria Davis, and that meant she only cared about her own well-being.

Brooke looked at the clock beside her bed and saw that it was already seven in the morning. She sighed and pushed the covers off her body. There was no use trying to get sleep; she'd been trying for five hours already. That was it, she was up for the day.

She figured she'd take a shower, grab something quick to eat, and then head on over to pick up Madison from Nathan and Haley's house, but when she got out of the shower Haley called her and told her that Jamie and Madison were getting along well together and they were having a good time. She said that Brooke didn't need to rush over to get Madison, and to just relax with the time she was given; Haley knew she needed some alone time.

Brooke wasn't too keen on agreeing, but Haley insisted and said to at least wait until noon to come over.

When Brooke hung up the phone, she wasn't sure what to do with herself. She hadn't had any alone time in a long time and she was pretty lost when it came to thinking of something to do.

She was just about to sit down and watch some t.v. when her phone rang once again. Except this time it wasn't Haley, and she was less eager to pick it up.

"Victoria." She answered.

"Brooke, there's been an emergency, I need you to come down here right away."

So much for alone time.

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The big emergency was Victoria misplacing one of Brooke's designs. It got mixed in with some other papers and now it was nowhere to be found. She simply asked Brooke to draw up a new one, as if it were so easy, and then walked out of the office, informing Brooke she'd be back in a few hours.

Brooke was able to somewhat remake the design, and when it was nearly twelve-o-clock, Victoria came back.

"I have to go pick up Madison." Brooke informed her, placing her bag on her shoulder.

"Well." Victoria pondered the thought. "I suppose it would be okay if you left now."

"Gee, thanks." Brooke replied sarcastically. "I'll see you later, Victoria." As she walked away, she shook her head. Her mother was pathetic.

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When Brooke pulled up in the Scott's driveway, she noticed that there was a car she'd never seen before and it was then she remembered Haley telling her about Nathan's brother coming into town.

She stepped out of her car and walked up the path to the front door, ringing the bell twice. She waited as she heard footsteps coming closer to the door, and expected either Nathan or Haley to be the person to open it, but was surprised when a blonde guy did.

"Um, are Nathan and Haley home?" She found it weird that not one of them had come to the door since it was opened.

"No. Nathan's at work, and Haley went out. Who's asking?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Brooke blushed as she realized she hadn't introduced herself yet. "I'm Brooke; Madison's mother."

"Oh. Madison is Jamie's friend, right? Cute little brunette that was here today?"

"That would be her. Do you know where they are?"

"Haley said she left you a message; that she was taking the two of them out for lunch."

"Really?" Brooke was confused. She'd never gotten a message. But when she pulled out her phone, there it was. One missed call and one message. Both from Haley. "Maybe I should have checked my messages before I got here. Do you know when they'll be back?"

He shook his head. "Sorry. But they left about an hour ago if that helps."

It didn't help. But Brooke smiled gratefully, and began to walk away. "Okay, thanks."

She was almost in her car when he called out to her. "Hey, why don't you stay? They shouldn't be much longer and it wouldn't pay for you to go all the way home and then come back."

Brooke contemplated the thought for a minute. He was right; she would just be wasting gas by driving back and forth.

"I guess you're right." She closed her car door and walked back up to him. "You're Lucas right?"

"Yeah." He stuck out his hand for her to shake. "Nice to meet you, Brooke."

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**A/N - So there you have it. The first hints of BL. **

**Hope you liked it!**

**Review please! :) :)**

–**Melissa**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Hello everyone! I'm glad more people reviewed the second chapter! :) **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, even though it's shorter than the first two (sorry about that). **

**Thanks: **othfan326, CheerandBrood323, bella, Brucasfan23, etfanalltheway, Mosie1213, Leona, bd-ls-islove, tanya2byour21, brookedavis23, pink5288, **and **bwaybaby32. **Thanks! Your reviews mean a lot to me!**

**Enjoy and review please! :) **

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Straight From the Heart

Chapter 3 -

Victoria insisted the same thing her boyfriend had. An abortion. She'd told Brooke that she was way too young to even consider raising a family. Her life was just beginning, she had just turned twenty. There were so many things left in the world she hadn't even touched upon nor experienced yet. Keeping the baby meant kissing her life goodbye. She told Brooke to learn from her and the mistake she made.

And that's when Brooke knew that she was keeping the baby. Simply because that one statement that Victoria had the nerve to say explained it all. She and Victoria were two completely different people and Brooke would never succumb to her mother's ways.

Brooke had picked her head up from the floor her eyes had been glued to, and stared her mother straight in the eyes. This baby was going to be hers. She was going to raise her child providing all the love and care he or she would need.

"Oh, I am going to learn from your mistakes, mother." Brooke had told her "Because my child is going to know what it feels like to be in a real family. He or she is going to have all the love I can possibly give. I'm learning from what you failed to do with me."

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"Brooke, how long are you going to let her push you around like that?" Haley asked Brooke over the phone.

"It's complicated, Hales. And you know that."

"No, Brooke." She sighed. "It's not complicated. Your mother treats you like shit and you're doing nothing to stop her." Seeing Brooke get treated like that by her mother definitely was hard for Haley to watch. And it was even harder watching Brooke sit around and do nothing about it. Haley knew that somewhere deep down, Brooke was stronger than that. But Victoria, in her own little manipulative way, was able to get the real Brooke to hide behind shadows.

"I can't do anything, Haley. She's my mother, okay? And if it weren't for her, Madison and I would be living out on the streets." Arguing with Haley about this was definitely something Brooke didn't enjoy. And it was happening more and more frequently in the past few days. It had become a daily ritual lately.

"Oh, please, Brooke. When you say stupid things like that, that's when you know Victoria Davis is getting to your head. You are so much more than that. And I think deep down inside, you know that."

"Haley, look, I really can't be bothered with this conversation right now. I'll talk to you later." Brooke rolled her eyes as she ended the call. She knew that Haley was only trying to help her; if the roles were reversed Brooke knew she'd be doing the same thing Haley was doing.

"Mama?"

Brooke looked up from the phone to see Madison clad in pajamas and ready for bed.

"What's up, babe?" Brooke tried keeping her voice steady as Madison walked closer towards her mother and sat on her lap. She did not want to let her daughter know that she was upset.

"Why are you mad at Aunt Haley?" The young girl asked, staring up at Brooke.

"Oh, no, honey." Brooke shook her head. "I'm not mad at Aunt Haley, Maddie. We just had a little…disagreement."

"About what?" She asked curiously.

"Well aren't you a nosey little girl." Brooke smiled at Madison. "Come on, that's enough questions for one night, missy. We ought to get you to bed because you've got to go to school tomorrow." She kissed her daughter's cheek before placing her down on the floor from her lap and grabbing her hand.

"I don't like kindergarten, mama." Madison said as she and Brooke walked up the staircase to her bedroom.

"And why not?"

"'Cause…there's a girl in my class who likes Jamie. And she can't like Jamie, mommy! Because I like Jamie."

"I know you do, babe." Brooke smiled at the thought of Jamie and Madison. The two had been inseparable since birth and ever since then, Madison adored her blue eyed blonde haired best friend.

"Can you tell me a bedtime story tonight? You're never home to tell me stories anymore." Madison said sadly as she got into bed and got comfortable under her blankets. "Why don't I see you at night sometimes, mama?"

Brooke felt her heart break at the little girl's words. She hated that she often went a whole day without seeing her daughter. She'd go to work in the morning and by the time she would come home, Madison would already be asleep over at Nathan and Haley's. It made her feel like a horrible mother, yet in reality, she was really doing it to earn a living; to give her daughter the best life she could possibly give her. But sometimes she even felt like that was just an excuse; sometimes she just felt like a coward because she couldn't say no to her mother. It was something that conflicted her every day.

"Mommy's just been tied up at work lately. But I'm here now…" She tried to reason as she stroked her daughter's dark locks. "So what bedtime story do you want tonight?"

"Hmm…" She thought for a second before responding. "Can you tell me a story about daddy?" Madison asked hopefully.

"Madison…" Brooke started. That wasn't the first time Madison requested that, and Brooke knew it definitely wouldn't be the last. "What did I tell you about that, baby?" She tried to explain to her daughter. "Mommy doesn't have any stories about daddy to tell you."

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Haley mumbled incoherently under her breath after hanging up with Brooke—or really, after being hung up on by Brooke.

She placed the phone down on the kitchen counter and noticed Lucas staring at her as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"What?" She asked him.

"Nothing…it's just, you seem stressed."

"Oh, trust me, I am. She just doesn't want to listen."

"Who doesn't want to listen?" Lucas asked confused.

"Brooke…who I was on the phone with…the person you met earlier." Haley explained quickly.

"Oh, yeah, right. What's her deal anyway?" He asked curiously, taking a seat next to Haley at the table.

"It's complicated…" She sighed, before looking up at him strangely. "What's it to you anyway?"

"Nothing. I don't know. She just seemed so uptight earlier, like something was wrong."

"Yeah, well…that's Brooke's life."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…" Haley began and then stopped abruptly. "Wait, why am I even telling you this? Why are you so interested in my friend…?"

"I don't know…I mean, she seems like a nice person." Lucas replied with a shrug. "It'd be nice to have a friend around here besides you and Nate."

"Oh, no, Lucas." Haley shook her head and stood up from her seat. "No, no, no, no, no. Her life is already screwed up as it is. She doesn't need you to make it messier, because if I remember correctly, you're not exactly here on vacation. You've got some problems going on yourself back home. Please, Lucas; trust me, just don't get involved." Haley told him seriously. "Come on, let's go outside to check on Nathan and Jamie's one on one game."

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Brooke kissed Madison's cheek and sighed as she pulled away.

Things had to get better at some point. They just had to. Madison would eventually stop asking questions about her father, and Brooke wouldn't have to skirt around the topic anymore. Hopefully that's how things would play out. Hopefully Madison wouldn't continue expecting answers, and hopefully she wouldn't grow up resenting Brooke for keeping all that away from her.

"Goodnight, Maddie." Brooke whispered in the dark room before exiting.

Hopefully everything would be alright.

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**A/N – No BL, sorry! But they'll interact again in the next chapter! This was sorta just a filler chapter to get the story moving. I don't have school tomorrow so who knows, maybe I'll update again. Review and I'll see what I can do.**

**Thanks! :) **

**--Melissa**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N – Sorry for the long wait.**

**Thanks: **othfan326, pink5288, CheerandBrood323, tanya2byour21, **and **chicaespanola.

**Enjoy&Review please!**

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Straight From the Heart

Chapter 4 -

He'd look at Nathan and Haley and couldn't help but feel slightly jealous, maybe even a bit angry, too. Because they were the epitome of everything he'd wished for in his life. A stable, loving family. A few months ago he could almost grasp that feeling of being complete, being whole. Having everything you ever wanted in the world. But usually as soon as you think you got the hold of something, life takes a completely different turn; it thrusts you into a new direction.

Lucas wanted the love that Nathan and Haley shared. It was such a strong, powerful bond that could withstand everything.

He wanted to feel that again.

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"What is this?" Victoria questioned, holding a cold demeanor. She pointed her finger in Brooke's face, demanding an answer.

"What does it look like?" Brooke bit back sarcastically. She then bent down to her daughter's level to speak. "Maddie, why don't you go into mommy's office and color in your coloring book?"

"Okay, mama." Madison nodded and walked past the two adults.

"Brooke, why is she here?"

"I'm not going to keep shipping her off to people when I need to come into work, Victoria. She's my daughter, and mothers need to care and nurture their children…oh, but I can't expect you to know that."

"Excuse me? You better watch your mouth. When you're here at work, you address me like your boss, understood?"

Brooke opened her mouth, ready to reply back with some snide, rude remark that Victoria probably deserved, but instead nodded her head. "Yes, I understand."

"And one more thing. I cannot have a four year old child running around my office; it's a work place, not a playground."

"She's five."

"Huh?"

"Madison…She's five, you said she's four."

"Oh." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Same thing." She waved it off. "Tell me this though, whether she's four or five, how do you expect to get any work done? She cannot stay here, Brooke. It'd be too much of a distraction. Call what's her face---that friend of yours; you know who I'm talking about-"

"Haley?"

"Right, that's it. Call her. I'm sure she wouldn't mind spending some time with Madison."

"No." Brooke shook her head. Her mother had to be the most cruel, cold, and manipulative person on earth. "I'd mind. I've been staying in this office during late hours, I barely get to see my daughter. I'm not volunteering someone to watch her."

"Brooke, listen to me. We have a deadline to finish by. You can't have someone constantly bugging you to check if they colored in the lines in their juvenile coloring book. We have to have concentration. What will I tell the board when we present our fall line only to have half of it complete? We'll look like fools. Darling, trust me. Call up Haley. I won't keep you late tonight. You'll just sketch a few things and then you'll be on your way."

Brooke felt her fists tighten up as she closed her eyes to take a breath. She wasn't in the mood to fight today. Besides, she knew that Victoria would eventually get her way anyway so what was the point?

"Okay." She sighed.

"Great. I've got a meeting in a few minutes with the board to go over last minute decisions, so don't come in my office for at least a good hour. After that we'll see what new stuff you've come up with."

She knew giving in to her mother made her seem weak and pathetic. And no matter how many times she'd try to break the habit of doing so, she just couldn't. Because she was just too torn inside.

"Hi, mama!" Madison smiled once her mother entered the office and sat down at her desk. "Like my picture?" She held up a colored page she'd finished and torn out from the coloring book.

"It's great, sweetie." She smiled to Madison and she pulled out her cell phone, ready to dial Nathan and Haley's number. "Hey, sweetie?" Brooke asked.

"Mhmm?"

"You wouldn't mind hanging out with Jamie now, right?"

"What do you mean, mama?"

"Well…if Haley was to pick you up now to have a play date with Jamie, would you like that?"

"I guess." Madison shrugged, and hesitantly walked over to Brooke. "But I thought I was hanging out with you today."

"I know. But you don't really wanna stay here. It's really boring. Wouldn't you rather have fun with your best friend?" Brooke knew what she was doing. She was trying to get her daughter to say that she'd love to go with Jamie, that way Brooke wouldn't feel so guilty about sending her off. Because she knew that whether or not Madison agreed, she would inevitably end up at Haley's house at the end of the day anyway.

"Yeah, I guess." Madison finally nodded.

Brooke gave her a small smile as she walked back over to where she was sitting and coloring. She took the coloring book and crayons and put them back in her little backpack she'd pack especially for going to work with her mom.

Brooke could tell she was disappointed and spoke up. "Another day you can stay here with me. I promise."

"Alright." Madison face lightened up the least bit. She then took a seat as her mother called Haley.

"Hello?" A voice not belonging to Nathan or Haley answered.

"Uh, hi. Is Haley there?"

"No. Who's this?"

"Brooke…"

"Oh, hi. It's Lucas."

"Hi, Lucas, um do you know when Haley will be back?" Brooke asked hopeful of an answer.

"Not 'til later…I'm watching Jamie for the day and I told Nathan and her to go out."

"Uhhh, okay, um, yeah, thanks." Brooke mumbled frantically.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I was just hoping Haley would be home, but thanks anyway." She replied over the phone, looking over to Madison who seemed engrossed in her mother's conversation.

"Well, is there anything I could help you with?" Lucas offered.

"Actually…"

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"Uncle Luke?" Jamie tugged on his uncle's shirt as the two entered a building.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Why are we at Aunt Brooke's work?" He asked, eyeing the lobby curiously.

"We're picking up your friend Maddie."

"Really?" Jamie's eyes lit up.

Lucas nodded and grabbed Jamie's hand as the two entered the elevator that would take them up to the floor where Brooke worked.

"I bet it's cause Maddie doesn't want to stay with her mommy's mommy."

"Her mommy's mommy?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, Aunt Brooke's mommy. Mama says she's a meanie. And she doesn't treat Aunt Brooke right."

"A meanie, huh?" Lucas mumbled to himself. "You know you're good for information, kid." He smiled and ruffled Jamie's blonde hair.

"I know." Jamie replied causing Lucas to stifle a laugh. "Mama says I'm super smart."

"That you are, buddy." He smiled as the elevator doors opened. "Come on. Let's go get Madison."

"It's that way." Jamie pointed down the hallway to a door at the end. "Mama takes me here sometimes."

When the two reached Brooke's office, Brooke was already off to work, sketching a design for their new fall couture line.

"Aunt Brooke." Jamie ran up to his aunt as she got up from her seat to give Jamie a hug.

"How are you, buddy?"

"Good."

"Well that's good to hear. Now I hope you don't mind, but you're gonna have to share your Uncle Lucas today with Madison."

"Oh that's okay." He nodded before turning to Madison. "He's cool, Maddie. He'll let us eat ice cream for dinner!"

"Hey." Brooke turned to Lucas. "I don't want to hear that. My daughter needs to be healthy."

"Don't worry." Lucas assured her. "The kid's lying." He jokingly stuck his tongue out at Jamie.

"Am not!" Jamie pouted.

Brooke laughed and looked at Lucas. "I trust you."

"Good..." He stared at her and gave her a smile. "Now let's get going, you two."

Jamie and Madison went out of the office in front of Lucas as he told them to wait right by the elevator.

"Thanks, Lucas. You're really a lifesaver."

"Don't mention it…so just call me when you're heading over to pick her up."

"Will do." Brooke nodded. "Thanks again."

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To Brooke's surprise, Victoria had stuck to her word and let Brooke go home at a reasonable hour. But of course she told Brooke she expected her back at work the next day bright and early.

Brooke truly didn't know why she listened to her. Sure, Victoria was her mother. However, she sure didn't act the role of it. A mother was supposed to be compassionate and caring and loving and just good hearted towards their child. That was everything Brooke yearned to be towards Madison. But by growing up in a family with cold hearts, she was at a disadvantage. But Brooke knew that she was different than her mother by so much. She had made the decision to raise Madison on her own, and Brooke knew that if she were like Victoria, Madison probably wouldn't even exist.

"She's just being tough because she cares about me." Brooke had always told Haley when they had first met. It was obvious to anyone how forceful and controlling Victoria was. "She wants me to have a bright future and be able to raise my family."

But the more Brooke had repeated those lines in different variations, she realized that not only was she trying to convince it to Haley, but to her own self, too. And that's when she realized that maybe there was more to her mother than just caring about her, if she cared at all.

When Brooke stepped out of her parked car in the Scott driveway, she heard laughter and talking coming from the backyard so decided to just go back there instead of ringing the front doorbell.

She smiled as Madison, Jamie, and Lucas came into view.

"Uncle Luke." Jamie whined. "You're supposed to be the monkey in the middle now!"

"But what if I don't want to be the monkey?"

"Well you have to." Madison told him simply. "It's the rules."

"Yeah, it's the rules." Brooke cut in with a smile.

"Oh, hey. I didn't realize you were here." Lucas waved and walked closer to Brooke. "Hey, guys, why don't you play a round of catch with just the two of you? I'm gonna talk to Brooke." He suggested.

"I heard noise coming from here so I figured I'd come back here." Brooke said.

"No problem." He walked to the steps by the back door and took a seat, gesturing for her to sit next to him.

"So they were good?"

"Of course." Lucas nodded and watched the two best friends throw the ball back and forth. "They've been friends for long?"

"Oh, yeah. They've been hanging out since they were born. One's three days older than the other."

"That's cool. They seem extremely close."

"Yeah, they are. It's nice…having a friendship like that."

"I'm sure…so you, Nathan, and Haley have known each other for long, too?"

"Basically as long as our kids have known each other…we met at some pre-parenting class or something. They've just been…really, really great to me. I couldn't have asked for better friends."

"Yeah, they've been pretty great to me, too. I mean, we all lost touch over the years and when I needed help, they offered me a place to stay."

"Yeah…Oh." Brooke said, remembering something that she forgot to say. "I forgot to ask you…how do you like Tree Hill so far? Different from, where was it, Charlotte?"

"Yeah, Charlotte…yeah, Tree Hill's been treating me pretty good. It's different, but I think that's what I needed. You know sometimes things just get to crazy, you need a break."

"Oh, I know how that feels." She laughed a little. "Trust me. I think everyone goes through something like that, though. It's hard."

"Yeah."

Brooke pulled out her cell phone and looked at the time. "Well, I 'oughta get home. Thanks again, I owe you big time. And it was really great talking, getting to know you."

"Same here. I'll see you later."

"Maddie, come on, time to go! Say goodbye to Jamie and say thank you to Lucas for watching you."

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"Mama?"

"Yeah?" Brooke asked, tucking in Madison.

"I think you're right…staying with you would have been boring 'cause I had lots and lots of fun today."

"Yeah? See I told you." Brooke smiled and gave her daughter's cheek a kiss. "Jamie's Uncle Luke is fun?"

"Uh huh…and he's also cute." She blushed.

"Oh, god. What is with you and blonde haired blue eyed Scott boys?" Brooke laughed. "First Jamie, now Lucas."

Madison giggled.

"Well, I think you and Jamie would be cute…but Lucas on the other hand, is a little too old for you, babe."

"But he's not too old for you." She replied back quickly.

"Excuse me, little girl?" Brooke laughed, surprised at her daughter's answer. "Well, mommy's too old to have a crush…and on that note, I think it's time to turn off the lights. 'Night, baby."

"Goodnight, mama."

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**A/N – Hope it was good!**

**Review please!**

**--Melissa**


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